If you are a lector (read the lessons at the services), you’ve probably noticed that we have switched this year from the lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer to the Revised Common Lectionary. Several people have asked me about this change recently.

In the first place, the lectionary lays out what scripture texts we use each Sunday. It consists of a three year cycle. We are currently in Year C, and on the first Sunday of Advent this December, we will begin Year A. The most important differences among the three years is that Year A focuses on the Gospel of Matthew, Year B on Mark, and Year C on Luke. The Gospel of John is read intermittently, especially during Lent and Easter.

The Revised Common Lectionary which is used by most Protestant Churches that follow the lectionary is different in some important ways from the lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer. Most importantly, it allows for the continuous reading of sections of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) on the Sundays following Pentecost. For example, this year we have been hearing the stories of the prophets, beginning with Elijah and Elisha, and following through Amos, Isaiah, and now Jeremiah. This gives the preacher the opportunity to make connections from Sunday to Sunday. By contrast, the Old Testament readings in the Book of Common Prayer lectionary were chosen for their connection with that Sunday’s gospel, so it was difficult to see the text in its literary context. In Year A, the Old Testament lessons will come from Genesis-Judges; in Year B, largely from Samuel.

There is also a purely mercenary purpose for our switch to the RCL. Most preaching resources are being prepared for the RCL, so when we begin working on our sermons, we can easily find commentaries on all of the texts in the same place (kind of like Cliff Notes for preachers; but no, that’s not plagiarism). Among the web sites that I draw on for sermon preparation are: the text this week and the Center for Liturgy. These sites are intended for everyone, not just preachers and they provide a wide variety of material reflecting on each week’s readings.